Pope Francis on False Friendships

In an interview with Argentinian radio station FM Milenium 106.7, Pope Francis said, “Friendship is something very sacred. The Bible says, ‘Keep one or two friends.’ Before considering someone your friend, let time test him to see how he reacts in your regard.”

Do your friends make the grade? Here are two stories of inspiring real-life friendships that are tried and tested through time and hardships.

Through The Years

Tining and Nena

102 year-old Nena (left) and Tining, 98, still meet for lunch on a regular basis

I met my best friend Nena when I was 18 and she was 21. I’m the talkative one and Nena is a listener. Also, we both speak Spanish so we had that in common. After getting married, I moved to Negros and her farm was next door. I was so happy because I didn’t know anyone in Cadiz or how to speak the dialect—but I had her to turn to. We became like family, and now our friendship spread to our children and grandchildren. We both moved to Manila after the war, and Nena and I play mahjong all the time—for fun. It’s our secret to staying sharp, along with the care of our families and our social engagements. The best thing about having a best friend is that we know there is always someone who is there to be with you and help with no vested interest- Tining Lopez, 98

Merry Maidens

The MC Maidens of Maryknoll Class of 1965

The MC Maidens during a trip to Lipa, Batangas

My college friends and I call ourselves the MC Maidens because we were the Maryknoll Class of 1965. After we graduated from college, some of us kept in touch, but this was rare since we were busy raising families or focused on our careers. We started getting together again to prepare for our 40th Jubilee—and with email, we were able to contact classmates both here and abroad. When we were busy preparing for our homecoming, my husband passed away. That’s when I appreciated the concern of my classmates. Emails from those abroad poured in. Those who were here attended the wake and the novenas. We had practices for our homecoming presentation so this kept me from feeling sad and mournful. From then on, we would gather often, and before we knew it, we were busy preparing for our golden jubilee where we even raised P1 million for our school! Since then, there were a few deaths among the husbands, and the more recent widows must have felt the same as I did. They experienced so much love and concern from the Maidens. We still get together regularly, and all the Maidens are very special to me because they make me feel loved and keep me young. –Marilyn Trinidad Mapa, 75

As told to Tata Mapa

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The full version of this article appears in the June 2018 issue of My Pope Philippines.

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